Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1887-08-25
THE DEVILS GRAVEYARD.



III ever I die with my boots on, boys, I'd
like for to hev yer plant me up thar I'm the
DEVILS Graveyard, jest whar the shadder
from ole Skullcap teches at sunrise. I've put
IL to my pard an he's promised to zee to it,
lint one can't most alters tell what's goin' to
happen in this world, an he's as apt to kerr
funk Is be. reckon the camp kin afford
TO do that much for the man what struck
color here fust Iswar that III come back
and ha'nt the hull cussed lot Of ye il yer
don'tI Ys hear me- now--jest At sunrise,
right at the pint of the shadder."
"Lord, Jim, ye can't think but what we'd
all 10 mighty glad to do that for vel" uttered a
burly miner, repronchfully. and tho senti-
ment was Endorsed by m enthusiastic "Ycu
beti" from the crowd. .lt Fa.7
And now Jim Hardtack had died with his
boots oD-not in the regular way, exactly,
by having daylight let through him." no,
Jim simply failed to show TIP one evening IL
his usual place at The Skin me quick bar
room, and the boys. after some waiting an,
wondering. sailed forth to besiege his cabl.
and found him just As be had returned from
work, with knife in one hand and fitch OF
bacon on the plank table before him, sitting
bolt upright in his chair, stone dead.
The drst thought was Of foul play, but e1.
animation failed to show so much as q scratch
upon him, 10 it was concluded that be had
had stroke Of some kind; it mattersd little
to these rough men what the cause Of his
death might have been; that he was dead was
enough; funeral was In order, and u war
their duty to zee that his wishes were carried
out.
"Sort o. hard on Fishy not to be hers now, I"
said one, AlludinE to Hardtack's partner.
Fshy was of on . tramp-he was given &c
tramping-and il the truth bad been told 1t
was -, and not Jim Hardtack, who had To-
Gated these diggings; but Fisby was . mild,
little, inoffensive man, who would have been
put upon" by the camp but for the fact that
be was under Jim's protecting care.
"Reckon We don't need to wait for himy'
commented another of the boys IN . half
Questioning tone. r..
"In course not. Who's 30 tell when bel!
be backs Wen all on Us keep Jim here com
pany tonight, an give him the best layou
We know how In the mornin'"
30 il was arranged. They wers not IN the
habit OF letting the grass grow under their
feet when they had anything to do In the
camp, from running out an undesirable citi-
zen or hanging horse thief to this matter Of
doing honor to the camps founder, as they all
considered him, and If they relieved the
te1ium Of the night by numerous games of
old sledge and draw poker It was in no spirit
Of levity or disregard for the dead 1t was
another token Of the favor in which he was
held that every man there took his turn to
drive nail into the rough pine box which
was to do duty as coffin r...
With the first gray OF the breaking dawn
they formed into a procession and tramped
soberly up the steep trail to the little triAn.
sular strip Of ground which was known a.
the Devils Graveyard. Not that his Satanic
Majesty or any one else had ever occupied it
as burial place, but it was thickly strewn
with fragments Of whitish rock which were
suggestive of tombstones, and so the name
had been given to it. They came out upon
the small plateau before the sun broke
through the rhists Of the morning ard stood
about in groups until the red and yellow
streaks changed to one full burst Of golden
glory. Then two of the miners seized upon
their spades and began to dig at the edge of
tho shadow which was cast by the rounded
crest Of old Skullcap
1t was hard work in that dry, rocky sol.
and the sun was shining hot before the task
was done. There was momentary pause III
the proceedings. and then Dan Mullen stepped
Is
"Is any Of you boys parson enough to sava
bit Of pra'r! Notl Wal. couldn't tackle
but one myself, an Now / lay me- dom,
seem to be jest the thing but wouldn't like
to plant dim without sayin' sutbin for him.
You all know what he wor, a square man,
grit to the backbone, as ready to divvy bis
last fapjack with friend as to shoot a foe
I say, Larkey, what are you up tor
Larkey had picked up bit Of the loose red
clay dug from the grave and was rubbing it
between his thumb and finger; a start and q
whoop from him cut short Dams remarks ana
called forth that exclamation.
"Color, boys. an lots of it,"
The words were scarcely out Of his mouth
before the miner who had been last in the
grave tumbled back into it, and with his
spade began scraping and prying at the re-
sisting rock, while the others crowded around
the heap Of clay, tasting and testing it.
Presently he brought up heavy handful Of
Of dull yeiio~ish hue. He was white as
death, and trembled all over as he muttered-
"A nugget, nugget AN took it for a
niggerIead when was diggin' afore. Boys,
this eres my claim. Git back while stake
;c out"
A howl arose.
"Not much. Jake an me did fust digsii'.
We 60 pards an take fust chloe"
Instantly hands dropped upon weapons
and scowIng looks went around, but Da,
Mullen quelled the threatening outbreak with
q few cool, well directed words.
Seems to me, boys, we'd better finish the
job we hev on hand afore we pervide more Of
the same sort Jim Hardtack's goin' to git
buried, an the chap what goes to stakin' out
q claim afore that's done he's got to answer
to me fur it."
Dan meant business, and they knew it.
Even the nugget finder gave in.
"All right, SO you don't bury him here"
u reckon as none Of US II make that
pint now. Thar's dip back here, an split
i'll the rocks most ready fur a grave as it is.
Spose we put him thar"
All agreed. The rough coffin was lowered
into the crevice which Dan pointed out,
heavy pieces OF rock were rolled down upon
it, and the whole was topped of with a pile
Of hastily shoveled earth.
Then excitement reigned; there was hot
dispute rs to who might claim the open
grave, but again Dsn's good sense came to
the rescue.
1--WE all took turns at the diggin', so don't
see rs one has better rights than another.
Reckon we'd best dra W lots fur fust ch'ice."
1t was DONE Within an hour every man
had his claim staked and was hard at work